10 Models That Changed the Look of Cars

The 1941 Willys MB not only served our troops during World War II, but also gave rise to the SUV, a vehicle type that would boom for years to come. The midengined Lamborghini Miura of the 1960s set a blueprint for supercars through the '70s and '80s. But we don't have to travel back a half-century to find cars that changed the automotive design landscape. Here are ten modern cars that rocked the status quo and inspired serious changes in the new cars we see today.

2002 BMW 7 Series

2002 BMW 7 Series

Few modern car designs are as despised as the 2002 BMW 7 Series. That year, BMW's flagship sedan traded the suave lines and swagger of the previous E38 generation for blunt and blocky shapes. It had lines above its headlights that looked like eyebrows. The trunklid, nicknamed the Bangle butt after BMW designer Chris Bangle, appeared to be an afterthought to increase luggage space. And inside the cockpit was the dreaded iDrive, a complex infotainment system controlled by a frustrating rotary knob.

But as much as everyone disliked that car, its design inspired other carmakers to move in that direction, creating more elegant versions of Bangle's work. Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, for example, adopted a version of the Bangle butt. All luxury cars have grown to the same large, blocky proportions pioneered on that BMW, in part to meet today's crash standards and provide increased visibility for the driver. Look inside any Audi, Mercedes, or Lexus these days and you'll find their version of iDrive.

The 2002 BMW 7 Series was an ugly duck. But Bangle's design, for better or worse, pushed sedan design to where it is today.

2003 Scion xB

2003 Scion xB

At the dawn of the millennium, Toyota realized its buyers were getting older—much older. Kids didn't want to own a Toyota—it was their parents' car. So Toyota created Scion as the company's "youth brand" in the U.S.

Ten years on, Scion's overall success can be debated. But what can't be questioned is the significance of Scion's first car—the original xB. Scion imported Toyota's Japanese domestic market bB and sold it as the Scion xB, a hip and youthful people mover. Kids thought it was dope (that's right, I said "dope"—it was 2003 after all), while older folks wondered why a small boxy car would appeal to anyone.

The xB was a hit. It inspired Nissan to bring over its Cube and Kia to build its own youthful box, the Soul. It also proved that sleek lines and big horsepower numbers weren't the only ways to get younger buyers into dealerships. The xB could be highly customizable with parts and equipment available right from the Scion store—including electronics. Today automakers have found that the electronic interface has become a major driver for people to buy specific cars. That's why even the most inexpensive cars, like Chevy's new Spark, have been designed with leading-edge infotainment systems.